The Jordan Henderson case: the B-side of footballers who go to Saudi Arabia for dollars and decide to return

Just 175 days after signing a juicy contract with Al-Ettifaq From Arabia Saudi and after earning the rejection of some English fans, the midfielder Jordan Henderson He left the Middle East with pain, without glory and perhaps without tickets. The former captain of Liverpool has already joined the Ajax Dutch, to whom he was linked until June 2026.

“I regret to say that I will be leaving Al Ettifaq effective immediately. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I think it’s the best thing for me and my family,” the player wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday. “I want to take this opportunity to thank the club and the fans for all the support during the my stay. I truly felt the love from day one. I will continue to watch and hope for your success. Good luck in the future,” he added, without providing further details on the reasons for his decision.

With the precision of a clock, just two minutes after publication of the 33-year-old footballer, Ajax reported that Henderson has signed a two and a half year contract with the club and even immediately offered the possibility of purchasing the shirt with the number 6 and the surname of the English national team player online.

“We wanted a midfielder with experience and leadership qualities. Also due to the team’s injuries we were looking for someone who could play straight away. Jordan Henderson is that type of player. His arrival represents a huge improvement for our team. Both on and off the pitch, a player of this caliber is important for our many young players,” justified the inclusion of John van’t Schip, coach of the Amsterdam team, fifth in the Dutch championship.

In Saudi Arabia they tried to tone it down rudeness. The management of Al-Ettifaq, through a statement published on their website, explained that the separation was the consequence of “a mutual agreement” and marked “an amicable conclusion of the relationship with the footballer”.

“We are always respectful of our players. “The club and Jordan believe that this quick decision, without further delay or distraction, was taken for the overall good of the club and him,” said the institution’s president, Samer Al Misehal.

After 12 years at Liverpool, in which he had played 492 games, scored 33 goals and won eight titles (seven as captain, including the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020), the midfielder had joined the cast of Arabia Saudi in July. 27, which had generated riots in the United Kingdom and accusations of hypocrisy manifests itself towards the player.

The main questions were due to his decision to choose as his destination a country where homosexuality is punishable with corporal punishment (the death penalty is also foreseen), especially because Henderson had shown his support for the LGTBIQ+ community wear rainbow armbands, as part of a campaign by the Stonewall group, and actively and proudly participate in campaigns promoted by the Premier League.

“When you see something that is clearly wrong and makes another human being feel left out, you should stand by them. You also have a responsibility to better educate yourself about the challenges they encounter. The idea that someone feels excluded from playing or attending a football match simply for being and identifying as who they are blows my mind. “I don’t feel worthy of being classified as an ally on this issue, but I’m incredibly proud to be considered one,” the player said in November 2021, in one of his entries in the Rainbow Laces campaign.

When he decided to sign a three-season contract with Al-Ettifaq which, according to the BBC, earned him 3.6 million dollars per month, the midfielder stated that his departure for Saudi Arabia (historic ally of the United States in the Middle East) was to give visibility to the LGTBIQ+ group. “I really think playing in Saudi Arabia is a positive thing,” he said in an interview with The Athletic in September.

Many supporters They didn’t believe his argument. and since then they have booed and insulted him in every match he has played for the English team. “I don’t understand why they boo him. He played 80 times for England. His role both on and off the pitch was very important and he helped many young players in the team. He was an example for many,” the United States coach defended him. Three lionsGareth Southgate, in October.

In a championship which, to the detriment of the wallet, has become a center of attraction for people like the Portuguese Christian Ronaldothe Brazilian Neymar or Senegalese Sadio Mane, Henderson’s hiring was a boost for Al-Ettifaq. But the team led by Steven Gerard (former teammate of the Liverpool midfielder) was far from achieving the results he aspired to and today is eighth in the league, 28 points behind leaders Al-Hilal.

Beyond the performance of his team, which he represented in just 19 games, the reasons for Henderson’s premature departure would have been other. According to the English press Neither he nor his family have adapted to daily life in the city of Dammam.. Although the player was responsible for leaking this information, he never made his discomfort public.

In any case, the Vice President and Acting Executive Director of the Saudi Professional League, sad Allazeez, made it clear. “This is part of football. Sometimes, despite best efforts, people don’t adapt, don’t settle, and this can affect their task and lead to frustration. “Jordan is a good guy and it’s a shame that things didn’t work out, but he would be the first to admit that they gave him all the support and respect,” assessed the leader.

Beyond his very noble intentions of making visible the problems that afflict the LGTBIQ+ community, the move to Saudi Arabia had as a counterpart a very juicy financial reward for Henderson. However, his defection was premature and a premeditated tax avoidance scheme They could leave him without receiving even a dollar of his million-dollar contract.

As reported by The Telegraph, the Sunderland-born player had accepted postpone salary payment to avoid paying tax in the UK. British law states that if a person spends more than 90 days a year in the country, he must pay taxes there. Henderson, who intended to get through that time limit with visits to family and friends and focusing with the national team, decided to delay receiving his salary. This transfer and his escape just six months after the trip to Saudi Arabia would have allowed Al-Ettifaq not to pay him what was originally agreed.